There are scenic highways, and then there are Scenic Highways.
Florida has no shortage of beautiful drives, from the canopy roads of Tallahassee and Ocala’s rambling horse country, to Miami’s glitter
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Where: The highway runs north to south along Florida’s Atlantic coastline, from Fernandina Beach down to Jacksonville Beach.
Length: 40 miles.
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best time to visit: It
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Where: In Martin County, between the communities of Stuart, Indiantown and Okeechobee, on the northeast edge of Lake Okeechobee.
Length: 12 miles.
How to get around: Car.
Best time to visit: Whenever
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Where: Along Florida’s central Atlantic coastline, linking the Space Coast and Treasure Coast.
Length: 233 miles.
How to get around: Car or motorcycle.
Best time to visit: Winter, for prime kayaking a
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Where: In Central Florida just west of Orlando, stretching from Mount Dora down to Winter Garden.
Length: 19 miles.
How to get around: Car, bicycle or motorcycle.
Best time to visit: October to March
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Where: The Central Florida road runs north to south parallel to 27, from Haines City to Frostproof.
Length: 39 miles
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best time to visit: The first Saturday in Novemb
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Where: About a 20-minute drive northwest of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport or a 1-hour drive southwest of Tampa International Airport.
Length: 3.5 miles.
How to get around: Take the free tro
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Where: This double-loop of roadways hugs Florida’s northeast Atlantic coast just north of Daytona Beach.
Length: Approximately 34 miles.
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best time to visit: Fall or
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Where: The highway starts at the southern tip of Florida near Miami and continues from Key Largo to Key West.
Length: 106 miles.
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best time to visit: September to obs
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Where: In St. Lucie County on Florida’s central eastern coast.
Length: 42 miles.
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best time to visit: February or March to catch a New York Mets spring training game.
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Where: In the northern part of Tampa Bay, between Tampa and Clearwater
Length: 9.5 miles
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best time to visit: Late winter or early spring, when air temperatures are c
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Where: Just west of Orlando, traversing Clermont, Bushnell, Webster and the surrounding parts of Central Florida.
Length: 62 miles.
How to get around: Car.
Best time to visit: On a Monday, to visit We
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Where: Running just east of the St. Johns River through through Volusia and Seminole counties.
Length: 156 miles.
How to get around: Car, bike or canoe.
Best time to visit: Springtime, to hear birds s
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Where: In northwest Florida, about 100 miles west of Panama City.
Length: 11 miles.
How to get around: Car or motorcycle.
Best time to visit: Spring or fall, for weather that’s warm enough to enjoy th
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Where: The corridor, a.k.a. State Road 16, through the Town of Penney Farms in Clay County, southwest of Jacksonville.
Length: 3 miles.
How to get around: Drive, bike or walk.
Best time to visit: Spri
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Where: The road runs north to south along Florida’s east coast, from the Miami-Dade County line to Palm Beach County line, passing through Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.
Length: 25 mile
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Where: Running along Florida’s west central Gulf Coast, through the cities of Palmetto, Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice and North Port.
Length: 70 miles.
How to get around: Car.
Best time to visit: Februa
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Where Just northwest of Tampa.
Length: 40 miles.
How to get around: Car. Experienced bicyclists may also enjoy the remote part of the Suncoast Trail that runs along the highway.
Best time to visit: Fa
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State Road 13 winds along the east side of the St. Johns River for 17 miles to make the William Bartram Scenic and Historic Highway in St. Johns County. The ride recalls Old Florida as travelers visit
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Where: State Road 13 along the St. Johns River, about 25 miles west of St. Augustine.
Length: 17 miles.
How to get around: Car.
Best time to visit: Late March to see the oak trees in full foliage, or
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Take a trip of a hundred miles and cover thousands of years of civilization on the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Byway. History fans can walk in the same area as Ponce de Leon in Melbourne Beach. There a
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Where: The road forms an upside-down “A” shape in West Central Florida, about 30 miles south of Sarasota.
Length: Approximately 48 miles.
How to get around: Car, boat or golf cart.
Best time to visit:
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Where: In Flagler County, just north of Daytona Beach.
Length: 98 miles.
How to get around: Car, motorcyle.
Best time to visit: In October for the Creekside Festival, a family-friendly event that incl
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Where: Just south of Tallahassee, traversing Leon, Wakulla and Franklin counties, plus Apalachicola National Forest. For a map, click here.
Length: 220 miles.
How to get around: Drive, bike, hike or r
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Where: South of Jacksonville on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, from Ponte Vedra Beach through St. Augustine and down to the end of Flagler Beach.
Length: 72 miles.
How to get around: Car or bicycle.
Best t
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For nearly 40 miles, the Ridge Scenic Highway takes visitors through historical, agricultural and cultural areas from Frostproof to Haines City. Places to see include Historic Bok Sanctuary, with lush
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Travelers can drive, bike or walk the three miles of the J.C. Penney Memorial Scenic Highway, which runs the length of Penney Farms, south of Jacksonville. Retailer James C. Penney bought 120,000 acre
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The 106-mile Florida Keys Scenic Highway carries travelers over turquoise and emerald water to the world of island culture. Along the way are panoramic views, dramatic sunrises and sunsets, and a cora
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Looking for some hills? Take a ride along the Green Mountain Scenic Byway, which includes Sugarloaf Mountain, the highest point in peninsular Florida at 312 feet. Most of the highway runs along the we
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For 70 miles, the Windows to the Gulf Coast Waters Scenic Highway travels U.S. 41 from the Manatee/Hillsborough County to the Sarasota/Charlotte County line. The road on the Gulf Coast opened in 1928,
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An amazing mix of natural beauty and historic sites line the roads that are part of the 150-mile River Of Lakes Heritage Corridor Scenic Highway in Volusia and Seminole counties. Wonderful small towns
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For nearly 40 miles, the Ridge Scenic Highway takes visitors through historical, agricultural and cultural areas from Frostproof to Haines City. Places to see include Historic Bok Sanctuary, with lush
Read More »

Take a trip of a hundred miles and cover thousands of years of civilization on the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Byway. History fans can walk in the same area as Ponce de Leon in Melbourne Beach. There a
Read More »

For 70 miles, the Windows to the Gulf Coast Waters Scenic Highway travels U.S. 41 from the Manatee/Hillsborough County to the Sarasota/Charlotte County line. The road on the Gulf Coast opened in 1928,
Read More »

Travelers can drive, bike or walk the three miles of the J.C. Penney Memorial Scenic Highway, which runs the length of Penney Farms, south of Jacksonville. Retailer James C. Penney bought 120,000 acre
Read More »

The 106-mile Florida Keys Scenic Highway carries travelers over turquoise and emerald water to the world of island culture. Along the way are panoramic views, dramatic sunrises and sunsets, and a cora
Read More »

For 70 miles, the Windows to the Gulf Coast Waters Scenic Highway travels U.S. 41 from the Manatee/Hillsborough County to the Sarasota/Charlotte County line. The road on the Gulf Coast opened in 1928,
Read More »

Looking for some hills? Take a ride along the Green Mountain Scenic Byway, which includes Sugarloaf Mountain, the highest point in peninsular Florida at 312 feet. Most of the highway runs along the we
Read More »

Where: Just south of Gainesville along U.S. 441, spoking out from Micanopy
Length: 48 miles.
How to get around: Car or high-end bicycle.
Best time to visit: Fall or winter, for mild temperatures and a
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Go Green

Outdoorsy

Off The Beaten Path

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Here’s a quick primer on Florida beaches to help you choose. Start by choosing your general location and the time of year you want to visit.

Gulf of Mexico Beaches will tend to have white sand and calmer waters (which is great for really young children or for those timid about the water).

Atlantic Beaches tend to have golden brown sand and waves (which are great fun if you like to surf, skim board, etc).

The Florida Keys are great fun, but not renowned for their beaches, with the exception of beautiful Bahia Honda. Many of the Florida Keys’ beaches are manmade, or are just a layer of sand over a sliver of limestone. (If you want superb scuba diving and snorkeling, you cannot beat the Keys.)

The north is almost always cooler than south, something to remember in both summer and winter. To find out the average temperature of a destination, just scroll to the bottom of VISIT FLORIDA’s home page. You’ll find a place to enter the city’s name plus the month.

Next, you should figure out the general vibe you’re looking for. Do you want a big city? A charming little town with shopping and cafes? A beach where you see almost nobody else? Someplace upscale? Someplace old-fashioned? Do you like miniature golf and T-shirt shops, or do you hate them? Florida features beaches on both coasts in all these varieties.

To further research any destination that you find interesting, put its name into the search engine on the VISIT FLORIDA homepage, and it will give you lots of info that you can filter by blog, article, photo or video, to help you decide which one is the best fit for you.

I’m happy to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, too! Just write me with details of what you’d like!

Cocoa Beach would be the closest to Orlando. It’s on the Atlantic side and only about 55 minutes away. It's also home to the Kennedy Space Center. Daytona Beach or New Smyrna would be about a 75-minute drive. If you seek Gulf coast beaches, head to St. Petersburg/Clearwater Beach (less than two hours). The beaches are beautiful and there is plenty to do for families – we love Pier 60 in Clearwater.

Most theme parks run their own specials, so before your visit, log on to the park's website and click "specials" or "offers." Often, you'll also find special rates for Florida residents on the theme parks' websites. If you live in Florida, be sure to buy your tickets online for SeaWorld, Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resorts.

Great back road drives are all over the state and a book that’s recommended often is Jan Godown Annino's Scenic Driving Florida. Also, check out VISITFLORIDA.com/driving_tours, which offers articles, videos, blogs and photos on roads, attractions, parks and museums. Until then, a few of my favorites are:

Route 399 southeast of downtown Pensacola, which is a 15-mile seaside drive through the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Heading east, Highway 98 hugs the Gulf coast past Fort Walton Beach and Destin before Highway 30A follows the water way all the way to Panama City Beach, and then hooks back into 98 well beyond Apalachicola.

It’s hard to believe that Northwest Florida’s rural Highway 90 parallels busy Interstate 10. This is a great country road that passes small towns and caverns and natural springs and puts you in the heart of the Old South.

Extraordinary A1A between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach is a perfect two-lane road that offers nearly uninterrupted views of the Atlantic, inviting beaches and pullover points at historic sites like Fort Matanzas and Marineland.

North of Orlando in the center of the state, two-lane Highway 19 cleaves a path north right through the Ocala National Forest and its natural springs and hiking trails.

South of Orlando, Highway 27 has surrendered traffic to the Turnpike – which means it’s a great road to take when you’re heading south. It zips through the spine of Florida and past wonderful small towns, orange groves, lakes (including Lake Okeechobee) and into downtown Miami.

We posed your question to Chelsea Auffarth, spokeswoman for Orlando Premium Outlets. See below for her response.

Happy shopping (and saving)!

From Chelsea:

While every day is a sale at our centers, outlets do have seasonal sales. Please see below for our 2011 sale calendar. Orlando Premium Outlets offers over 300 stores in the Orlando area which offer savings of 25 percent to 65 percent everyday with additional sales throughout the year. You can visit the Sales & Events page of our website to view our current in-store promotions.

It’s no secret that shopping is a top activity for travelers and vacationers. While kids of all ages enjoy the thrills of Orlando’s theme parks, savvy shoppers enjoy the thrill of finding the finest designer brands at savings at the area’s two incredible outlet centers – one serving the area near Walt Disney World and the other serving the area near Universal Orlando Resort.

In addition to these two high end outlet centers, shoppers should save time to stop by a third area center, located just south of Orlando Premium Outlets - International Drive. Orlando Marketplace features 40 designer and name-brand outlet stores that have impressive savings on such brands as Calvin Klein, Coldwater Creek, Nine West, Reebok, Sketchers, Van Heusen and more.

To save even more, shoppers can log onto www.premiumoutlets.com/vip to sign up for the VIP Shopper Club. There is no cost to join, and shoppers will receive additional exclusive savings and discounts.

Absolutely. If you’d like to compare resorts and amenities, take a look at this page that covers all things Florida luxury. You can search listings or browse content by articles, blogs, photos and videos.